EAGLE PASS, Texas (WKRN) — Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee traveled to Texas Sunday for briefings on what his office called “the most severe border crisis the United States has experienced in decades.”

Officials said Lee joined Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and 12 other Republican governors on Sunday, Feb. 4 to discuss how states can restore security at the border.

“Republican governors have been sounding the alarm for a long time; the open border experiment has catastrophically failed America, and people across the nation are experiencing the devastating consequences of rising crime, drug trafficking and human trafficking,” Lee stated. “This crisis will only become worse if immediate action isn’t taken. That’s why governors are working together to do what the federal government won’t do, and that is secure our Nation’s southern border.”

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In addition, Lee’s office said he committed to deploying two extra waves of Tennessee National Guard troops to support the Lone Star State’s ongoing efforts to improve border security.

The Tennessee Department of Military is reportedly coordinating with Texas to determine the timeline and the areas of greatest need, but the first wave of Tennessee troops who volunteer is expected to deploy to the border within 60 days.

“Tennessee has a long history of supporting Texas in efforts to secure the border,” the governor’s office said in a press release, adding that the Volunteer State has sent hundreds of soldiers to the southern border over the last three years.

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In fact, there are currently more than 125 soldiers from the Tennessee National Guard’s 1175th Transportation Company completing a year-long deployment, with the primary goal of helping U.S. Customs and Border Protection by operating mobile surveillance sites for detecting illegal crossings and monitoring surveillance cameras.

In addition to Lee and Abbott, other governors who reportedly participated in Sunday’s event included Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, Idaho Gov. Brad Little, Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves, Missouri Gov. Mike Parson, Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte, Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen, New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, and Utah Gov. Spencer Cox.

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